Hermione's Train
by Elva Nightshade
Summary: Hermione can't wait to begin at Hogwarts, and after a whole summer of waiting, she is finally on the train. The story of how she met her best friends (and husband!) back when they both thought she was a stuck up know-it-all. One-shot, but if you want me to I can write more!


**The characters don't belong to me, do you think I would be writing fan-fic if they did?**

Hermione pressed her face against the window, trying to catch a last glimpse of her parents as the train sped away from the platform. She wiped her eyes angrily, she had promised herself that she wouldn't cry. She glanced across at the older girl sat on the seats opposite her to check she hadn't seen the tears, but luckily the girl was absorbed in a book. Hermione examined the girl, she looked about sixteen, and she was dressed in a black baggy robe with a blue crest sewn on the chest. Her face was hidden by a cloak of dark hair, although Hermione could tell that she was pretty.  
The older girl looked up and smiled. "Is this your first year?" she asked. Hermione nodded. "My name's Penelope, but everyone calls me Penny." She held out her hand and Hermione shook it.  
"I'm Hermione Granger." the younger girl replied, and before she could stop herself asked "What are you reading?"  
Penelope smiled and held up the book. Hermione read out the title. "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe!? Oh, I love those books! I didn't know that people here read normal novels?!"  
Penelope laughed. "Most of us don't read muggle books, but one of you my friends at my dads house was reading it for school and I thought I would give it a go."  
"Do you like it? asked Hermione excitedly. "Which part are you at? Who is your favourite character? Have you read the other ones too?"  
Penny laughed. "So many questions! I'm really enjoying it, I'm at the part where they have realize that Edmund has gone. I guess I like Susan best, she seem to be the most like me."  
Hermione smiled. "I always liked Susan best too, although I don't like her so much in the later books."  
"I didn't even know there were more books." Penny said, looking at Hermione.  
"Oh yes, that isn't the first one, you should have read the Magicians Nephew first. Although to tell you the truth I never much liked that one."  
Penny smiled and was about to reply, when there was a knock on the door. A short boy opened the door and stood there awkwardly. He was quite chubby and his red face was framed by his dark brown hair. Robes covered his top half, but he wore jeans underneath. Hermione noticed that his laces were undone, but before she could say anything he began to speak.  
"Erm...would you mind if I sit here? I can't find anywhere else." he looked embarrassed, and Hermione was about to say yes when Penny looked up.  
"Oh, hi Neville." she said with a smile. The boy - Neville - smiled back and walked to the seat next to Penny, stumbling on his laces as he went. He sat down and then, glancing at Hermione he took a bag of sandwiches out of his bag and began to eat.  
There was another knock on the door and it opened to reveal two girls who looked about Penny's age. Penny looked up as they came in. "Pen, you have to come with us, you wont believe who I saw getting on the train!" gushed the smaller of the two. Penny smiled at the girls.  
"Okay, I'm coming." she said, as she shoved her book in to her trunk. She stood and walked to the door but turned her head. She smiled at Hermione and Neville and with a "See you guys later." she set off with her friends.  
Hermione was about to take out her own book, she was re-reading Hogwarts: a History, but decided against it. The boy Neville looked about her age, it would be good to make friends with some of the other first years.  
She smiled at him and held out her hand. "I'm Hermione. This is my first year. Is it yours too?"  
Neville shook her hand quickly, and tried to talk through his big mouthful of sandwich. Hermione got a view of the food in his mouth and Neville, realizing his mistake, turned even redder and just nodded.  
They sat in silence whilst Neville finished his food; Hermione watched the countryside speed past the window.  
She pulled her brand new robes out of her bag and pulled them on top of her shirt, they came to just past her knee. She had a hat in her bag too, but nobody else seemed to be wearing them so she didn't bother getting it out.  
She heard the sound of Neville shoving the bag from his food away into his trunk and then a cry of "Trevor!" She turned to see Neville on the floor, trying to catch a...frog? Hermione jumped up just as the creature hopped out of the door which Penny had left ajar.  
Neville hurried out into the corridor, and Hermione followed. The boy looked both ways but it was clear he had no idea where the animal had gone. He turned to Hermione. "Please will you help me find Trevor?" Neville pleaded. "My Uncle will be mad if he finds out that I have lost him."  
Hermione nodded. "Of course I will help. What is he though?"  
Neville smiled gratefully. "His name's Trevor, he's a toad. My uncle gave him to me last week."  
"I'll search this way, you go the other." Neville wandered left, and Hermione set off down the corridor. She paused in front of one of the doors, it was open a little way, and she could hear laughter inside. She knocked on the door and pushed it open. A pale, blond boy was sat at one side, his dark robes contrasted his face and made him appear even paler. He was quite small, and Hermione would have guessed he was a first year too. Opposite were sat two large boys, who were also in robes. They looked much older, although it was clear that the younger boy was in charge. The blond looked up at Hermione and smiled. Hermione thought that it wasn't a very nice smile, but she dismissed the thought.  
"I'm Draco Malfoy." drawled the boy. "Who are you?"  
"I'm Hermione." she replied, "Hermione Granger."  
Instantly the boys smile vanished. "What do you want?"  
Hermione was flustered. What was wrong with her name? "Erm...a boy called Neville has lost him toad, you haven't see one have you?" she asked.  
Draco sneered. "Neville Longbottom? My father has told me all about his family..." The two larger boys snickered.  
"Well, have you seen a toad?" she asked again. She didn't like the blond boy, or his two older companions, and wanted to leave as soon as she could.  
"Crabbe? Goyle? Have you seen a toad?" he asked. The older boys shook their heads.  
Hermione nodded and attempted a smile. "Okay, thanks." she turned to go. Draco called after her. "Shut the door would you?" Hermione pulled the door shut behind her, but not before she heard "Honestly. Dumbledore will start letting muggles in next. Mudbloods at Hogwarts? My father will hear about this."  
Hermione pulled the door shut rather harder than she had meant to.  
After that encounter she wanted to go back to the compartment again, but remembering her promise to help Neville she walked along the train and stopped at the next open door. She walked in. A boy with short red hair looked up at her. His nose was smudged with dirt, and his trousers looked worn and had a hole in one knee. A gray brown rat was sat in his lap, its long scaly tail resting on his leg.  
Opposite the rat-boy sat a small boy with lots of messy, dark hair. Round glasses - held together with sellotape - magnified his startling green eyes, and his large clothes made him look even smaller.  
Neither of the boys were in robes, and Hermione felt glad she had put hers on earlier.  
"Has anyone seen a toad?" she said. "A boy called Neville has lost one."

**I hope you enjoyed it! It would be great if you'd leave a review and tell me what you think!**


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